Monktrump - With You

Hear The Track Here

Yet another artist I haven't heard from for a while, Monktrump and I didn't have a very happy start. It was only after the fourth or fifth track from him that I started to see there might be more here than met the ear, and since then I have had a couple of pleasant surprises from him. Nothing startling mind, but definitely something worth checking out - especially if rock is something you have a preference for. My initial feelings about his work revolved around his arranging and production skills, and as I now read, that has been the bulk of the complaints I have levelled against him and as I say, he does seem to have surmounted those problems admirably.

I have to say that With You didn't really register with me that much on first plays, and I suspect the same might be true for you unless you already know and like this artist. There is a basic feel about this track that may well prove off-putting for a more casual listener consisting as it does with little more than bass, drums, guitar and voice. Such a combination has paid off a million times in the past I know but it does take a certain amount of nous to do it properly. Unfortunately, in my very miserable view, I don't think that With You is strong enough as a song to really pay off because I don't really have a lot of problems with the way it is put together.

I did like the lyrics on their own but somehow when they are allied to the music, it just doesn't come off as powerful as the words make it sound. On the plus side though, there are some very good sounds going on in this track especially the sharpness of the guitar which gives it the requisite 'jangle' I find melts even the hardest of hearts (ie mine). All in all, I think Monktrump can be well pleased at turning in a very workman-like effort but again it isn't something that finds much favour with me even after repeated plays. There again, as Monktrump knows only too well, I am notoriously difficult to please and I think I'm probably a lot more critical than a great many SC rockhounds so I don't think he has that much to worry about.